I agreed to work 10 miles north of the City tonight, now I have to try to find out which roads might be blocked by protesters on my way home. There was trouble last night in the town I'm working in later and the police had to use water cannons in the city last night. This job involves sitting in the car outside a KFC, which tends to attract the yoofs. Urgh, do not want my car hijacked if things kick off.

I'm having an incredibly difficult time securing an adult with a car to accompany me for surgery. My sister initially bailed but is now hinting that it might be possible. Originally she was supposed to go, no problem. Mom refuses to go and has her list of ready made excuses. It's a forking day out of their lives, I'd be forever forking grateful and markedly better looking and better able to bite things, and no one can help.

I'm having an incredibly difficult time securing an adult with a car to accompany me for surgery. My sister initially bailed but is now hinting that it might be possible. Originally she was supposed to go, no problem. Mom refuses to go and has her list of ready made excuses. It's a forking day out of their lives, I'd be forever forking grateful and markedly better looking and better able to bite things, and no one can help.

Wow, that's unbelievable to me. I wish I could take you! Good luck with your surgery. I hope it goes well. And I hope you can find someone to take you.

_________________when you realise how perfect everything is, you will tilt you head back and laugh at the sky. -buddha

Thanks! I'm trying a more feisty approach with everyone. My sister was using some mystery appointment as an excuse but I pressed and gave her every detail I had on the surgery and reminded her it was overnight and I'd be out the very next day. There are a couple other people I could try but they are notoriously unreliable so I'm hesitant.

More passive aggressive shaming emails from family about coming to holiday celebrations that I have no interest in attending. I'm trying to think of a polite way of declining so I don't go off on the fact that I don't want to: 1) deflect questions about my single status; 2) give free legal advice; 3) defend my eating choices while having no food options at their house unless I want to make up a plate and bring it on a three hour drive; and 4) say that I have no interest in having a relationship with them. My mom thinks there should be a miraculous bringing together of the entire extended family since my sister passed away and seems intent on ignoring my telling her that all of the issues in relationships are still going to be there. Part of me thinks I should be a bigger person and go, but I just don't want to.

I am so sorry fatcat. It sounds really hard, and I think you need to do whatever is best for you.

Just so you know you're not alone, my mother died just before Thanksgiving and I skipped every holiday event that year, because it was just too hard on me emotionally to have to put on a happy face for people. And that is what I said to people - I am grieving and I want to be alone. You've had a huge loss and its really raw and fresh, so you need to do whatever you need to do to support your own grieving and healing.

Big big big hugs to you. <3

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

I just saw the last guy I dated, who didn't break but certainly bruised/sprained my heart. He totally could have passed without me knowing but he called out my name and waved with a big smile. As Jordan so sagely said, "why didn't he have the decency to be awkward and weird?"

Went to Costco, which is usually fun. Even if I don't buy much, they have the most random things sometimes, so it's fun.

Stupid mobile cart died at the extra end back of the store by the freezers, so I had to walk to the front, which really hurt. Now I have pain shooting up my back, my bones just ache. I started to lose my balance by the time I got to the front because my lower back went numb. It's going to hurt rest of the night now.

I really hate my life. I didn't get what I needed, had to sit while my mom finished shopping, then too sore to go other places I needed or wanted. Basically, I can't do anything, ever. And can definitely forget anything fun.

_________________"This is the creepiest post ever if you don't know who Molly is." -Fee"a vegan death match sounds like something where we all end up hugging." -LisaPunk

Aside from feeling too goddamn awful to eat, I found out that my favorite local beer is not vegan! I'm really surprised at how upset this is making me!

That sucks. I hate it when that happens but now you get to have fun sampling all the other local vegan beers until you find a new favourite.

Today I've realised that I don't just have a cold, it's the flu. I can hardly get out of bed and I'm a mess. I'm gonna have to miss my favourite local wintertime tradition, The Burning of the Clocks, tomorrow. I haven't missed it in 10 years.

I'm so sorry, lavawitch. My chronic pain isn't as bad as yours by the sound of it, but I know how massively it sucks to have it dictate whether a person can (or can't) do the simplest thing that other people can do so easily. It's very hard sometimes. I know I'm probably not really helping, just wanted to say you're not alone.

Hope you feel better soon. You too, Jojo. And everyone else in the thread.

_________________"Wait a minute. There is a holiday for eight days of fried food and I haven't been celebrating it?! This is not right." - Rhizopus Oligosporus

I had maintained friends with my ex and his family on FB because we're in theory trying to be friends IRL, but today because someone had 'liked' one of his girlfriend's posts with him tagged in it I got to see all about him and her having fun in Seattle seeing Louis CK. When he bought those Louis CK tickets and booked the hotel room we were still together and they were for us. He and his family have since been unfriended. I'm really not over this breakup.

_________________I would eat Dr. Cow pocket cheese in a second. I would eat it if you hid it under your hat, or in your backpack, but not if it was in your shoe. That's where I draw the line. -allularpunk